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UK Government Faces Mounting Pressure Over Welfare Reforms

Keir Starmer weighs scrapping two-child benefit cap and expanding winter fuel payments as Nigel Farage's Reform UK proposes similar policies.

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Overview

  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering removing the two-child benefit cap, a move estimated to cost £3.5 billion annually, as part of efforts to address child poverty.
  • Starmer has signaled plans to restore winter fuel payments to most pensioners, reversing a previous cut by Labour, with details expected in the autumn budget.
  • Nigel Farage's Reform UK plans to announce its commitment to scrapping the two-child benefit cap and fully reinstating winter fuel payments in a speech this week.
  • Labour faces internal divisions, with over 100 MPs pushing for broader welfare reforms, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces challenges in funding potential U-turns.
  • The government's child poverty strategy has been delayed until autumn, aligning with the budget to allow for comprehensive costing of proposed measures.